kelley



I (No Model.)

J. .W. KELLEY.

SULKY.

No. 449,542. Patented Mar. 81, 18 91.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\ I II UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN V. KELLEY, OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA.

S U L KY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,542, dated March 31 1891.

Application filed November 12, 1890. $erial No. 371,260. (No model.)

TouZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN \V. KELLEY, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Columbus, in the county of Mus- 'cogee and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

This invention relates to vehicles, and more particularly to that class of vehicles in which only two wheels are employed, the object of these present improvements being to relieve the person riding from all jar and concussion incident to passing over obstacles in the road and to prevent the communication to the seat of the motion of the horse, the details of construction whereby these ends are attained being hereinafter fully. specified, and the parts believed to be new pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a two-wheeled vehicle with the devices attached namely, the spring-seat and the jointed shafts. Fig. 2 is a plan of the device, further showing said elements. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a section of the shaft, showing the resilient joint therein in detail. Fig. 4. is a detail in plan view of the spring, showing the bent form thereof, the shafts being shown by dotted lines. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of the flexible resilient joint, showing the means for adj usting the tension thereon. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the spring, showing mode of setting seat thereon. Fig. '7 is a plan of a portion of a pole interchangeable with the shafts.

In the figures like reference-characters indicate corresponding elements in all the views.

The wheels A are, as usual, suitably journaled on an axle B, to which are secured the shafts O, as ordinarily, by means of suitable clips or couplings, said shafts 0 being, however, secured as shown, the part a being attached to the axle, and either the two shafts 0 being attached to the axle, and either the two shafts c or the two ends of the bifurcated posterior portion of the pole, as shown in Fig. 7, may be attached to said parts 0 'very readily, thus making a road-cart or sulky made according to this construction easily convertible for double or single harness, as will be clearly seen after afurther description of the elements.

Theparts c and c of the shafts, as just mentioned, are separate, and are hinged or pivoted together by straps c bolted on each side of the said shafts and covering the joint on both sides, preferably, for the sake of hiding said joints and adding to the appearance of the shafts thereby. The joint between the two parts 0 and c is so arranged that they have an extended range of motion relative to each other and in a vertical direction, which motion it is necessary to limit and very desirable to do so by such means as will render the same resilient in its actions, which is done in the following manner: On the under side of the shaft, preferably for protection from weather, is a strap 0 which is securely bolted to the shaft and has an offset, being bent downwardly and forwardly, as shown in Fig. 3. If desired, this oifset may be formed on the end of thetop leaf of theseat-spring, said spring being extended forwardly, as shown, for that purpose when so used. On the top side of the bracket 0 so formed, is placeda spring 0 of rubber or other elastic substance, preferably a rubber block, which is held in position by the bolt 0 passing through the proper part of said bracket. Secured to the under side of the part c of "the shaft is a strap 0 which projects backwardly along the said side'past the joint and bears on the spring 0 and is bifurcated on the ends for passing around the bolt 0 and on the wood of the part c alternately as'the motion of the horse or horses takes place in moving, all sudden jars being thus absorbed in the compression of the elastic substances with which the strap 0 contacts. In order to adjust the tension of this flexible joint, the bolt 0, hereinbefore mentioned, passes through the shaft 0 and the part 0*, a tightening up of the nut causing the reduction in size of the space between the part c and the shaft 0, and hence causing a compression of the rubber spring 0 The seat D is elastically held and the communication of all j ars from the shafts or wheels prevented by means of the springs cZ,\vhich are preferably leaf-Springs-that is, built up in laminate form of several independent springs and suitably secured together by clips or other equivalent devices. These springs have each an ofliset portion which lies under and parallel with, and is bolted to the forward part of the section a of the shaft, whence it passes backward over the cross-piece e the two springs converging a short d istance back of said crosspieee and being curved upwardly and forwardly, as shown in Fig. 6, passing under and being bolted to the seat B, whereby said seat is suspended thereon in a very satisfactory manner, allowing the leaves of the spring full freedom of action. The seat carries, by means of pendent arms or other reconnecting device, foot-board or rest E, of whatever nature desired.

In connecting a pole to the part c of the shafts the cross-bar would be provided at each end with short backwardly-extending arms provided with the straps c and holes for pivoting-pins.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a device of the class specified, the shaft divided intermediatelyand pivotally connectedby means of the plate secured to the under side of the rear part of the said shaft and having an offset which is bent downwardly and forwardly, the buffer supported by the said offset, the bolt passing through the offset, buffer, and shaft, the plate attached to the under side of the rear end of the forward end of the shaft, the front end of the said plate being extended and seated between the buifer and the front end of the rear partof the shaft, and the plates attached to the sides of the adjacent ends of the two parts of the shaft, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of the axle B, the shafts 0, secured to the said axle, the cross-bar a, secured to the said shafts, the springs cl, having their front ends secured to their respective shafts in front of the cross-bar and extending back wardly and over the same, the seat secured to the rear ends of the said springs, the said shafts consisting of two parts which are pivotally connected by means of the plates sccured to the sides of the adjacent ends of the parts, the offset formed by extending the end of the upper leaf of the spring (1 and bending it downwardly and forwardly, the buffer 0", secured between the said offset and the end of the rear part of the shaft, and the plate 0 secured to the under side of the rear end of the forward part of the shaft, the plate having its end proj eetin g and seated between the buffer and the end of the rear portion of the shaft, substantially'as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOI-IN \V. KELLEY.

\Vitnesses:

A. P. W001), 

